Another Food Question

The last thing I want to do is to start another food thread, but here I go :)

My corgi, Lilliput, is on a special diet for urinary health. I feed her a single ingredient food, California Natural, which has only chicken, rice and oil. Her brother, Oliver, has recently become a reluctant eater. He has been eating Taste of the Wild. Other foods have left him gassy, this was better, so he's been eating it for almost a year. Oliver just doesn't want to eat in the morning, so after some coaxing we pick up his bowl before Lilli can grab it, and he has to wait until dinner. It's been over a month, we've tried a few different flavors, same result.

Today at dinner he was uninterested so I gave him a scoop of Lilli's food. He ate it. (They eat with a door between them, so it wasn't a competition.) I have no problem with him eating the same food if he doesn't get gassy again.

So here's my question: ToTW and other good foods have lots of veggies and fruits in them. Lilli can't eat those, so she gets the CA Nat. What would an otherwise healthy dog miss out on if he were to eat only the single ingredient food?

Do dogs actually care about the taste of their food? Could it just be boredom? Does anyone here rotate different foods?

Bear in mind, I will only feed kibble, so we do not need to discuss raw, or canned, or home made. I don't even cook for myself. Since I don't cook anymore, there are rarely leftover veggies for the dog.

Oliver spent his first 5 years in a kennel with his brother, who bullied him, I'm told, so I'm sure he knows he has to eat NOW or lose his meal.

Any insight would be appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Anna Morelli on June 28, 2012 at 11:25pm

I have a friend who has fed California Natural to her various dogs for 10+ years, they have no special needs, she just likes the food and has been happy with the results, so I think you'd be fine feeding the same food to both. My solution for a dog that is not eager to eat (unless sick) is less food. I have never had a picky eater and I've fed a lot of dogs over the years!

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Permalink Reply by Melissa and Franklin! on June 28, 2012 at 11:34pm

I think as long as you are feeding a balanced diet, it doesn't matter what it is. California Natural has more than just chicken and rice (i.e. it has added vitamins and minerals) which allow it to be fed as a long term balanced diet so there is no reason why Oliver should not do well on it. What about mixing the two foods together? Or maybe just mixing a small scoop of her food into his TOTW to get him eating but not risk the gassy dog?

Franklin went through a similar thing a few years ago. He had been eating Blue Buffalo Wilderness for over a year and all of a sudden just quit eating. He went for about 5 days before I switched him to TOTW and he has been eating great ever since. Something made him decide he no longer liked the Wilderness food, his gusto for his meals had been decreasing over a period of time until he just decided he wouldn't touch the stuff anymore, so maybe a food change is in order for Oliver

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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on June 29, 2012 at 2:57am

I think dogs do care about the taste. I have a few suggestions that have worked for me and you could try.

1. With Sage I always add 1 couple of tablespoons of warm water and this seems to help as she is not food driven.

2. I have 2 differant foods that I feed my dogs but will sometimes throw just a few pieces of the other food on top and they like this.

3.Try some frozen green beans in the food...very easy and simple just open the freeezer grab a few and put them in the food...hopefully one of these will work:)

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Permalink Reply by Yuki & Ellie on June 29, 2012 at 7:52am

I don't really see a problem with feeding him the same food as Lilliput. However, you could always feed him fruits and vegetables yourself if you feel that he is somehow missing out. Both of mine absolutely love to get berries, carrots, celery, and all sorts of other fruits and vegetables as treats or with their meals.